A record number of cyber attacks have been repelled during the airing of Direct Line with the President this year, the National Coordination Center for Computer Incidents reports.
Natalya Goncharova is reporting on how many attacks were detected and, most importantly, who wanted to hamper the live broadcast.
Direct Line with Vladimir Putin was about 4 hours of live communication and 81 answers to some of the most pressing questions. This time, the event is marked by a record number of DDoS attacks. They started in the very first minutes and continued until the very end. What was also difficult for the specialists who were repelling them was that the attacks were often simultaneous.
Nikolai Murashov, Deputy Head of the National Coordination Center for Computer Incidents: “We faced 5 concerted DDoS attacks on various resources involved in broadcasting Direct Line with the President of the Russian Federation. One attack was aimed directly at VGTRK's web resources, while the other 4 were directed at the systems which ensured that citizens could get in touch with the President. That is, the websites where people sent video messages or questions.”
Such attacks on Russian information infrastructure are quite regular. The hackers' area of interest is well-known. It's primarily the field of credit and finance as well as the defense and nuclear industries. The most common method to try to steal information is to pass malicious software. This can happen via email or a hacked website. In 2015, hackers captured 2 million internet devices. They attacked via digital TV sets or networked cameras. The hackers turned internet devices into a Mirai botnet.
The biggest number of hacked equipment is in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, and Russia. And it's an open secret where the masterminds are.
Nikolai Murashov: "The attack control centers are located in the EU and the United States. Malicious software intended for cyber attacks is being constantly refined. But the methods of defeating these threats are developing too".
Washington's position is quite clear. Even the National Security Agency website says that one of their main goals is to dominate the global telecommunication network. To put it simply, complete supremacy in information warfare. And, unlike conventional weapons, there is no control mechanism for them yet.
Nikolai Murashov: "To distract attention away from its activities, Washington is trying to persuade everybody that the US is practically the only victim of cyber attacks. At the same time, to serve its geopolitical interests, the US groundlessly accuses Russia of being one of the biggest threats in the area of cyberspace. All accusations against Russia are based on the American "detect and accuse" concept".
The "detect and accuse" concept doesn't make room for a dialogue between the parties. It's a well-orchestrated sequence of unilateral political actions. The main goal is to find the hackers in the counties where the US wants to find them. Not only Russia, but also North Korea, China, and Iran have fallen victim to this method. Meanwhile, such actions are in direct violation of the UN Resolution on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts.
Natalya Goncharova for Vesti.
